Will Iran's Islamist dictators launch a war against Israel to save their skins?

Today, I read a summary of Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) Strategic Assessment for this year. Among other things, the assessment talks about the possibility of another war breaking out on Israel's northern front, which would involve Hezbollah and possibly Syria and Iran. The worst case scenario involves a conflict involving all of the aforementioned three. I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that this assessment was done in time to take into consideration the popular uprising now taking place in Iran. I mention the assessment and the Iran protests in the same context because I think those protests could increase the chances of the worst case scenario taking place.

History teaches us that ruling regimes often use foreign wars in order to deflect their people's attention away from domestic problems. Remember the period between George W. Bush's inauguration as U.S. President and the September 11th attacks? Bush had won what was arguably the most controversial election in American history, ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court voting along party lines and handing him the presidency. As Michael Moore noted in his film Fahrenheit 911, Bush struggled to get any of his agenda carried out and looked like a lame duck president. I was an undergraduate at the University of Toronto at the time, and I still remember one of my professors predicting that Bush would be a lame duck president because of the way he got elected. But then 9/11 happened. After that, Americans rallied around the flag and their president in the war on terror. And the rest is history.

Right now, Iran's Islamist regime is facing a full-scale revolt by the Iranian people. It's not surprising that they're accusing their enemies of sowing the seeds of dissent in the Islamic Republic. I think there is a real possibility that Iran's Islamist rulers will try and instigate a conflict with Israel in order to refocus their people's attention. Just think about it for a moment. If Iran attacked Israel, the Jewish state would certainly retaliate and the Islamists could use the destruction that such retaliation would bring in order to rally Iran's people behind the flag and end the uprising, just as U.S. President George W. Bush used the 9/11 attacks to deflect attention from his unpopularity. It's a frightening thought, but unfortunately it's quite possible for such a scenario to play out.

World must support Iran protests

Citizens throughout Iran are taking to the streets to protest against the brutal, despotic Islamist regime that has ruled the country for nearly four decades. What started as protests over bread and butter issues, such as prices for food and gas, is quickly turning into a full-scale revolt against the country's rulers. The plain and simple truth is that despite sanctions relief as a result of the deal Iran made with the U.S. and other world powers to curb its nuclear program, the lives of ordinary Iranians have not improved. Why? Because the Islamist cabal that rules Iran is using any extra revenues that sanctions relief has provided, not to provide better lives for the Iranian people, but to support their terrorist friends and continue building the country's missile arsenal to threaten its neighbours. Yes, more money for Hezbollah and Hamas, more money to support Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad as he slaughters his own people, and more money for missiles to strike Israel or anyone else Iran's mullahs don't like. But for the Iranian people? Squat. 

Far from lauding their Islamist rulers' support for terrorists in the Middle East and beyond, Iranians are now calling for an end to support for groups like Hezbollah. They're also making it clear to their oppressors that they want their country's resources to go towards solving problems at home rather than fueling conflict elsewhere in the Middle East. Above all, Iranians want freedom. The question is, will they get it this time? It was just under a decade ago, in 2009, that Iranians took to the streets to protest the re-election of then president Mahmoud Ahmedinidjad. Hopes were high that perhaps the Iranian people would overthrow their despotic rulers. But unfortunately, that popular uprising fizzled out and the Islamists prevailed. If the masses in Iran are going to succeed this time, they need all the support from the international community that they can get. So I hope that other world leaders will follow U.S. President Donald Trump's lead and declare that they stand behind the Iranian people in their quest for freedom.

An end to the Islamic Republic would be a giant step towards peace in the Middle East, because it would bring an end to terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, who depend on Iran for the resources they need to carry out their terrorist activities. Just think of the Middle East without Iranian-backed terrorists. No more Hezbollah to hold the people of Lebanon hostage or assist Syria's Assad in the killing of his own people. No more Hamas to rule over the Gaza Strip and use it as a base from which to attack Israel. But none of this will be possible unless Iran's Islamist rulers are toppled. So in essence, the Iranian people are not just fighting for their own freedom. They're fighting for the peace of the region. I hope they succeed.

Arab attitudes towards Israel changing for the better

There's been an awakening. Have you felt it? Yes, this is a quote from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But in this case, I'm not talking about an awakening in the force. No, I'm referring to an awakening in the Arab world. To put it simply, some Arabs are awakening to the realization that Israel is not the threat that they have always perceived it to be. Quite the contrary. Israel is slowly being seen by a growing number of Arabs as a valuable ally against what really threatens the Arab world: The Islamic Republic of Iran.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people on the Arab street still see Israel as their most hated enemy. But a growing number of notable figures in the Arab world are singing a different tune about the Jewish state. For example, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia recently issued a ruling saying that it was forbidden to make war on Jews, even going so far as to call the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist group, Hamas, a terror organization. I've been following Middle Eastern politics since I was a teenager and I never thought I'd hear anyone in Saudi Arabia, let alone its chief cleric, say something like this. And he isn't the only one sounding off on a more amicable attitude towards Israel and the Jewish people. A prominent Saudi academic went so far as to defend U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In addition, an Egyptian writer argued that Jerusalem had no religious significance for Muslims and called for greater cooperation between Jews and Muslims. Another writer from Kuwait praised Israel and called on Arab leaders to recognize the legitimacy of the state.

Some political leaders have also made favorable comments about Israel. The king of Bahrain, for instance, condemned the Arab boycott of Israel and said that he would allow his subjects to travel there freely. He made these comments at an event hosted by the Simon Wiesenthal Center in which Bahrain National Orchestra actually played "Hatikvah", Israel's national anthem. In Lebanon, the Prime Minister was recently recorded saying that Lebanon does not reject the Jewish state's existence and in fact respects Israel's right to safety.

One still has to be brave when saying anything positive about Israel in the Arab world. Anyone who does is almost immediately subject to condemnation and harassment on social media. Hell, they're lucky if they don't get death threats. But the fact a growing number of people in different sectors of the Arab public are willing to give Israel a chance is very significant. Now of course, I really don't think anyone in the Arab world has a love affair with Israel. Indeed, at this point, the increasing number of positive statements by notable figures in the Arab world pertaining to Israel may simply be a byproduct of the emerging Israeli-Arab alliance against Iran. In other words, it may simply be because of the old adage, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Movie-going experience ruined by commercials

I saw the latest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, today. Don't worry, I won't spoil it for anyone. Instead, I'm going to talk about what's really bugged me about going to the movies over the last few years, besides the exorbitant ticket prices and overpriced snacks. What really drives me nuts at the movies these days is those damn annoying commercials.

If you're my age or older, you'll remember going to the movies and not having to sit through a seemingly endless series of ads. When I went to the movies as a kid, you saw some coming attractions and then the movie. I wish this was still the case, but unfortunately it isn't. Now, you're inundated with commercials while you wait for the movie to start. Then the lights in the theater dim and guess what? More commercials! By the time you finally get to the coming attractions, you may have sat through up to ten minutes of ads, or more depending on when you entered the theater. 

Nowadays, ever time I go see a film, I can't help but say in my head, "Enough is enough. Just show us the f*cking movie already!" 

A U.S. President Will Finally Declare: Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel. It's About Time!

I was elated when I heard the news. U.S. President Donald Trump will declare that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and begin the process of moving the American embassy there from Tel Aviv. Israel is unique in many facets, some positive, some negative. One of the negatives is that Israel is the only country that is recognized by most other nation-states in the world, but whose capital is not recognized. Could you imagine a country refusing to put its embassy in Washington D.C.? It would be unheard of, because a country refusing to put its embassy in the capital of the nation-state with whom it intends to have full diplomatic relations would be a grave insult and would not be tolerated - except in Israel.

I'm not going to go into detail about why Jerusalem should be recognized by all as Israel's capital. I think people know the facts, whether they choose to accept them or not. Predictably, Israel's opponents all over the world are calling for an international outcry over President Trump's impending declaration. There has been talk of demonstrations, summits, violence, you name it. As far as I'm concerned, the enemies of Israel can whine and cry all they want. Jerusalem has been, is, and always will be the eternal capital of the nation of Israel. To deny this is to deny the facts. But of course, facts rarely matter to Israel's enemies.

After the 2018 World Cup, Expect Another Putin Power Play

The World Cup of soccer is taking place in 2018. I should be excited, but I'm not. Why? Well, first of all, my favorite squad, Italy, won't be competing for the first time since the 1950's. But there's a much more important reason. The 2018 World Cup is being hosted by Russia, or as I prefer to call it, Putin's Russia. I call it this because I don't want to associate the whole of the Russian people with the crimes of their tyrannical leader.

Putin's Russia is growing stronger and more dangerous. Of particular concern to me is how much closer its armed forces are to my ancestral homeland, the motherland of the Jewish people, Israel. Two years ago, Russian forces began directly intervening in the Syrian civil war to bail out Putin's ally and fellow dictator, Bashar Al-Assad. To this day, Russian warplanes are bombing rebel-held territory in Syria, causing countless civilian casualties and seemingly endless suffering. The Russians already had a military presence in Syria in the form of a naval base on the Syrian coast in the northwest of the country. Now that presence is a lot larger, and I must say, very discomforting to me as an Israeli. Putin's Russia and Israel are not enemies yet, but I am certain that they will be in the near future. Putin already gives strong support to Israel's enemies. Not just to Syria, but also to Iran, which in turn supports the terrorist group, Hezbollah, right on Israel's doorstep.

Putin's intervention in Syria has put Russian warplanes perilously close to Israeli airspace. And I don't think it takes a genius to realize that if Putin wanted to, he could have those same planes that are now bombing Syrian cities strike Tel Aviv, Haifa and other Israeli population centers. To make matters worse, Russia and Egypt have recently drafted an agreement that would allow Russian planes to use Egyptian air bases. If this agreement is implemented, Israel will face the danger of Russian air power on two fronts.

I believe that Russian encroachment in the Middle East and elsewhere will only grow as it fills the void left by an increasingly isolationist United States. This brings me back to the World Cup, which I think will mark the beginning of a new phase in Putin's plans to expand Russia's borders and its sphere of influence. The first phase of Putin's land and power grabs began in 2008, when he attacked Georgia and took over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which he subsequently turned into puppet states. The second phase took place immediately after the 2014 Winter Olympics, when Russian forces invaded Ukraine and occupied the Crimean Peninsula. The third phase began immediately after the occupation of Crimea as pro-Russian terrorists backed by the armed forces of Russia itself, took over much of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. The forth phase has been, of course, Russia's intervention in Syria. I believe that the next phase in Putin's quest for more land and power will begin right after the World Cup concludes. Putin does not want to ruin any benefits that hosting the international soccer tournament could bring him, which is why he hasn't made any further conquests in Europe yet. It's the same reason he waited until after the 2014 Winter Olympics to make his move on Crimea.

So by the time the World Cup ends and all the teams, fans and media are out of Russia, I suspect that Putin will make another major land grab. But where will he do it? My first guess would be again in Ukraine, where he may move to take the rest of the country's eastern regions. Another possibility is a move on northern Kazakhstan. Like the Crimea and eastern Ukraine, northern Kazakhstan is predominantly populated by Russian speakers. Hence, Putin could attempt to take over the region arguing that he is simply putting Russians in Russia where they should be. Hitler used the same excuse when he annexed Austria and Czechoslovakia's Sudatenland before the beginning of World War II. History appears to be repeating itself.

My Thoughts on Vegetarianism and Veganism

I remember an ad on the subway that said, "Why love one and eat the other?" The ad referenced dogs, which many of us in the Western world including myself love and cherish as pets, compared to cows, which frequently find themselves on our plates as food. The ad argued that both are sentient creatures and neither should be consumed as food. This was, of course, an attempt at advocating a vegan diet. There are people on my Facebook who are vegetarians or vegans, proudly proclaiming, "I love animals, therefore I don't eat them." Sounds logical, doesn't it? So do I think that vegetarians and vegans have got it right? Is choosing not to eat animals or consume animal products at all a more compassionate way of living that is better for the environment? I think the answer is undeniably yes. But it doesn't mean I'll be going vegetarian or vegan any time soon.

I couldn't imagine my life without meat or dairy products. I love a good steak, I love chicken, and as far as I'm concerned, you can have my cheeseburger when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. So I don't see any problem with eating meat or consuming other animal products for food. I think it's natural for us, just as it is for other living beings on this planet who consume the flesh of other creatures to survive. But to be honest, the real reason I won't give up eating meat is because vegetables and other healthy stuff just taste like crap to me. Let's just say that I'll consider being vegetarian or vegan the day that someone can show me food that doesn't come from an animal and tastes as good as a nice, juicy t-bone steak.

I'm certainly not saying that I don't care about how animals are treated before they're slaughtered for food or how they're slaughtered, which is why I've put my name to many petitions advocating for more humane treatment of animals destined for our dinner plates and will continue to do so. I think it's simply unjustifiable that we treat the creatures we eat to survive with such disdain. As I see it, any animals we eat ought to be wined and dined (at least in a figurative sense) before they are put to slaughter. And when they are slaughtered, they should feel no pain or as little pain as possible. It's the least we can do for the living, sentient creatures that sustain us.

It would be ideal if everyone on this planet all of a sudden chose not to consume animals or animal products, but I just don't think it's going to happen. Although the number of vegetarians and vegans around the world has grown significantly over time, the vast majority of Earth's human population still eats animals to survive. I think it's more likely that we will develop technology to grow meat without killing animals. Such technology is even being developed now, though it is still in early stages. So for now, we still have to choose between adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, or continuing to consume animals and animal products with the knowledge that animals will likely be harmed and suffer inhumane treatment on their way to our plates.